The Darkness Within
by ladysalicia
Summary: I never knew why he chose me, perhaps he saw me as an easy target? I was naive then, stupid too. Now I know what's out there in the darkness and I'm ready...to fight back! My first fanfic, please R&R :
1. Death and Darkness

**WARNING – This story contains scenes of a sexual nature, including sexual violence. Please do not read if this may offend.**

**Chapter One – Death and Darkness**

Night approached in a steady stream over the purple horizon.

"It's almost time" Cass Anderson whispered dramatically.

Kerry Northman sighed from the passenger seat, Cass was always dragging her into this kind of stuff. The weirder the better as far as Cass was concerned. She had promised to come though, hey what were best friends for?

"Let's just get this over with, they'll be here any minute anyway" she sighed

Cass flashed a wicked smile at her friend, revealing a set of perfect pearly teeth glinting in the weak light that remained. Her translucent skin shone, showing off her perfect features, the dark dramatic make up she favoured made her seem mysterious, almost mythical in appearance.

The girls got out of the old powder blue Fiesta. Cass didn't bother to lock it, she'd often joked that anyone desperate enough to steal the old rust bucket was welcome to it. They both made their way up the winding, tree lined, gravel drive towards the towering house above them. Mason Manor. It had been abandoned for years, hardly anyone alive today could remember a family living there in the last few decades. The once beautiful Manor house now needed some desperate repairs, cracks criss crossed the face of the building, window frames held just shards of dirty grey glass and the once grand oak front doors now hung limp and wide, chipped and dented from various intruders kicking or ramming them to get them open.

"Do you know which room we're supposed to go to?" Kerry asked quietly, realising a moment too late that she sounded scared.

Cass chuckled and shrugged "Guess we'll have to check them all...hope there are no dead bodies or ghosts hanging around"

Kerry knew she was just trying to scare her but she still couldn't repress the shudder that ripped through her slight body. This was a very bad idea, she could feel it. She scolded herself mentally, it was just a bit of fun, a dare to spend one night in the old house, she could do this...she hoped.

The front steps creaked as they wandered to the main entrance, the hall beyond was gloomy, full of dark corners and cobwebs. There was no furniture here at all, only a ruined wooden floor remained. The wide staircase straight ahead rose to a once beautiful stained glass window, depicting a beautiful lady wrapped in delicate cloth, which didn't quite cover her more intimate parts. The stairs branched off both left and right from here and ran around the edge of the walls above their heads, creating a balcony. Cass swept her waist length mahogany hair back off her face and smiled, this was her kind of place. She tugged Kerry's hand eagerly and dragged the girl up towards the semi naked lady.

"This is cool" she exclaimed excitedly as she began towards the nearest door on her left.

All in all they checked six rooms, all leading off the grand staircase. A few of the rooms had dust covered beds or old wooden chests, some had indecipherable objects covered in dirty sheets, some were as empty as the hall downstairs. Cass hissed impatiently, where were those stupid boys, it was their idea to begin with and now they were late. She turned, counting the doors again, five, six, seven. Then she clapped happily

"We missed one Kerry, they must be in there"

The two girls approached the small door, Cass could see how she'd missed it the first time, it was barely wide enough for her to squeeze through and she was very slender. They both edged through the gap and up a rickety wooden staircase. They opened the second door at the top and tiptoed into the vast space before them. It was the attic, and it seemed to run the full length of the house. The ceilings in here were very low, sloping up to the centre of the room allowing the girls to stand at full height there. Piles and piles of boxes lay scattered around their feet, they created a sort of corridor towards the back of the room. Cass could see a flickering light up ahead, a candle flame

"they're here, come on" she whispered eagerly

"You're only excited because Seth said he'd be here" Kerry hissed back.

"Well duh it was his idea" Cass retorted, she couldn't help but smile, mm mm Seth was yummy after all.

The candle Cass had seen turned out to be several candles dotted around, some on top of boxes, others stuck to the floor with melted wax. Sat around in an informal circle were the rest of the group, Seth of course was there smiling wickedly at Cass, his black eyes full of desire and his ebony hair spiked to perfection around his milky face, Jason slouched next to him, light to Seth's dark, blond waves fell lazily over his ears, framing piercing blue eyes. They were both a year older than Cass and Kerry, which just made them more desirable. Colin had come too, this surprised Cass, he was usually such a stick in the mud, never wanting to break the rules. He was also a few years younger than anyone else in the room, add a pair of wire rimmed glasses, a couple of whopping spots and a dodgy haircut to his age and what you got was a boy not usually 'cool' enough to hang with anyone. Cass was pleased though, she had known Colin since they were little, growing up on the same street had made them friends for a while. She liked the kid, although she would never admit it out loud, and she was glad he had been accepted by someone at last. The only other person in the room was Kevin. Again he was the same age as Seth, not quite as beautiful though and not a usual companion of the boys'. Kevin was a footballer, handsome enough with his broad nose and freckle flecked cheek bones, his head shaved severely, leaving a blueish tint on his scalp. But he usually stuck to his own crowd.

"Hey" Cass announced "We thought we'd never find you" she smiled confidently at Seth and lowered herself to a sitting position opposite him. Kerry copied her movement and sat as close as she could to Cass, noticing as she did several discarded beer cans lying around, and several more still full in the centre of the circle

"Well girls we're glad you're here, it would be no fun without you" Seth breathed in his deep sexy voice "I'm glad you were brave enough to join us. Grab a beer and let the party begin"

Cass beamed, this was going to be a night to remember.


	2. Games

**WARNING – This chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature, including sexual violence. Please do not read if this may offend**

**Chapter two - Games**

Someone had thought to bring a stereo and some kind of trance music pumped through the room. Cass had downed three or four beers, she felt kind of wobbly but didn't want to show the boys how unused to drinking she actually was. Seth stood quickly and reached out a hand towards her "Let's dance" he commanded. She gripped his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet, she glanced back cautiously at Kerry who was still nursing her first beer

"Don't worry Cass, we'll keep your little friend company, right Colin?" Kevin rumbled

Colin muttered something in agreement, never looking up at Kevin's face. Cass felt bad leaving her but before she could say anything Kevin had slid around to sit beside her friend, he winked at Cass. Seth dragged her away from the group towards the end of the room. Not much light penetrated this far, she found herself squinting to see. He spun around to face her suddenly

"I've changed my mind, I don't feel much like dancing after all" he stated.

Cass couldn't help it, her face crumpled in disappointment "Oh, OK" she made to turn back towards the others but Seth held her in place by her hand, boy the guy had a firm grip.

"What I meant was there's something I would much rather be doing right now, want to see?".

His voice had a teasing edge to it and a wicked smiled stretched across his face.

"S s sure" she stuttered.

He snorted and led her behind a wall of crumbling boxes, he knelt down and a second later a candle spluttered into life, she looked at the floor stunned, there was a thick duvet laid out to make a sort of bed and a bottle with a couple of glasses next to it. The single candle gave just enough light to make the situation very intimate. Seth pulled Cass down gently to join him on the duvet, she sat beside him feeling self conscious.

"When did you do this?" she asked timidly.

"Earlier tonight, I thought you'd like it".

He filled a glass each from the bottle and handed one to her, she nodded in thanks and drank deeply.

"Enough talking" he whispered, taking her drink and placing it back on the floor.

His strong hands traced her cheeks, travelling down to rest gently on her shoulders. He leaned in slowly, kissing her tenderly once, then his lips parted and he pressed them roughly against hers, his warm tongue caressed hers wildly. Cass' mind raced, it was actually happening, she was kissing Seth Dawson, and not a 'nice to see you Grandma' kind of kiss, a full on Hollywood romance passion filled kiss. She reached up to put her arms around his neck and moved her body closer to his. His hands were doing a little roaming now, working down her sides to her small hips and tight ass, he squeezed gently and smiled at her answering groan. He ran his hands back up to the hem of her tee shirt and felt the soft skin underneath, up and up his fingers travelled until they found the lace of her bra. Gently but expertly he tugged on the lace until her pert nipples were free. Grasping each between thumb and forefinger, he began to squeeze and tug, roll and caress, stroking occasionally or pinching them hard. With each touch she moaned softly, her body felt hot and a kind of buzzing sensation had started in her groin. She knew where this was leading and although not entirely sure she was ready she continued their kissing as he lay her down beneath him. He lifted her shirt up and pulled roughly at her bra to release more of her soft breasts, then he bowed his head and his mouth took over from his hand. Cass arched as pleasure swept over her, his teeth grazing her tender nipples causing spasms of heat throughout her body. She could feel his erection through his jeans and wondered fleetingly what it would feel like to make love to him here in the darkness. She felt a little light headed now, she tried to focus on the top of Seth's head, bobbing gently against her exposed breast but he was a blur. The heat spasms had increased, what she had taken for sexual pleasure earlier had now turned into a burning sensation racing through her veins.

"Seth" she whimpered "I'm not sure I want to do this, oh I don't feel so good. Seth can we stop please?".

She fought hard to focus on him as he raised his head to look at her. Her breath caught in her throat when their eyes met, his face had changed, his eyes were like liquefied silver and his canines had extended down to create two very sharp looking points. What scared her the most about the image was the smile he wore, no longer playful or teasing, it was hungry and cold, he was chuckling to himself.

"Sorry babe, I drugged you, that's what you're feeling, it must be starting to work. Makes it much easier to get what I need, so many girls say no nowadays and we can't have that can we?. I can't stand it when they start screaming either but you're not a screamer are you Cass, you're up for it little Goth girl, darkness and death is your thing, right?".

He dropped his head again but this time he bit her over her nipple and sucked hard, drinking down the flowing blood, she tried to raise her fists to fight him off but her limbs felt like they'd been stuffed with cotton wool. Terror filled her as she realised she had no control over her body, he could do whatever he pleased and she was powerless to stop him. She opened her mouth to scream, hoping Kerry or Colin would hear but he must have anticipated this, lifting his bloodstained head once more, he roughly shoved a wad of material into her mouth then he grabbed a roll of tape from behind the nearest box and secured her mouth. He ripped her tight fitting leggings and underwear from her body with a sweep of his long hand. He fumbled with his jeans for a moment and the horror of what was to come filled Cass. Then gently he parted her thighs with his big strong hands and entered her. Pain shot up through her body as he pumped away, seeming to thoroughly enjoy himself. She willed her mind to go to another place, trying desperately to block out what was happening, but the pitiful sound of her muffled sobs and his pleasure filled grunts was all she could hear.

It felt like hours later he finally pulled away from her, leaving her throbbing and sore. He quickly dressed himself and wiped away the remains of the blood he'd taken, from both her breast and throat, with the back of his hand. He stood up, towering over her limp body and smirked,

"I did you a favour Cass, you were begging for it and I gave it to you".

He knelt on one knee next to her head, and smiled at her, almost warmly.

"Hmm it's a shame to do this but I can't have you blabbing to any one".

He seemed to be thinking hard about something but then suddenly he turned his head back towards where the rest of the group had been, almost as if someone had called his name. Cass realised that what had happened to her could have happened to Kerry too. She tried to look in that direction, although she still had no control over her body.

"Ooh you're worried about your little friend? Hmm you should be Cass, there was only one of me" he moved to whisper in her ear "your little Kerry had three friends to play with. Catch you later..." then he was gone.


	3. The Aftermath

**Chapter three – The Aftermath**

Cass had woken to the smell of smoke, she was very groggy and stiff but as she lifted her hand to her face she realised she could move. She looked around hurriedly as the memory of the evening returned to her, she must have passed out after Se..no she couldn't say his name.

All that remained of her clothing was her blood soaked tee shirt, she sat up as quietly as possible and pulled hard, trying to make it longer to cover herself. A waft of smoke hit her again and she stood quickly to scan the room. Emerging from behind the stack of boxes she saw the cause of the smoke, someone had set fire to a few of the boxes and a small blaze had broken out. Forgetting her semi naked state, she sprinted down the room, calling Kerry's name in a hushed shout. There was no sign of Kerry or the other boys anywhere in the house. Someone had taken the time to light a few more fires however. Cass was sure the whole house would go up soon if it wasn't tackled quickly.

Outside fear gripped her as the pure blackness of the night pressed in around her but the thought of standing still in it scared her more than anything, so she ran as fast as she could, past her car that persons unknown had thoughtfully wrapped around a tree, all the way home.

Her parents had freaked when their blood soaked daughter flew through the front door sobbing uncontrollably and wearing only a tee shirt. She fell to the floor as great hacking cries ripped through her chest. Her mother fell to her knees beside her only daughter and cradled her in her arms,

"Baby tell me what happened to you" she whispered softly.

"He..he..oh mom, he drugged me then raped me" she cried out in agony as the full force of the truth hit her, she had been raped by a boy she had trusted, a boy she had actually considered having sex with that very night. It sickened her as she remembered his hands on her body and his face as he came inside her.

Her father grabbed her shoulders roughly and pulled her out of her mothers embrace

"Who did this to you" he screamed shaking her in his rage.

"God Damn it Cassandra who did this to you, I'll kill the bastard I swear I will"

She looked anywhere but in her fathers eyes as she whispered "Seth did, Seth Dawson".

Many hours later, after a medical examination and multiple interviews with the police, Cass had finally been allowed to go to home. She lay now in clean pyjama's in her warm bed, after scouring herself in a boiling hot shower. Her mother was perched on the end of the bed holding Cass' hand. She had been told by the police that the manor house was fully ablaze and fire-fighters were doing their best. No sign had been found of Kerry, Colin or any of the boys. It seemed all three boys had used fake details to enrol in Cass' high school as none of the addresses for them had been correct. Colin and Kerry were officially missing persons now.

"I let Kerry down" Cass sobbed.

"No honey, you mustn't think that, Kerry will be fine, you'll see" .

Her mother stayed with her throughout the night, holding her occasionally when the nightmares woke her and singing softly to her in the darkness to comfort her. All the while her father paced downstairs with a loaded shotgun, waiting for a hint from the police as to where the monster could be.

The three boys never returned to school, neither did Colin or Kerry. In the days after, Cass had small flashes from that night, mostly of Seth abusing her body but sometimes just of things he'd said. One thing in particular kept floating back to her

"_your little Kerry had three friends to play with_" he had said, but that wasn't right. Kerry had been with three boys yes, but only two who could have hurt her, Jason and Kevin. Colin was the third boy but she knew him, he wouldn't have hurt Kerry, no matter how much he wanted to fit in with the older boys, he just wouldn't, would he? Cass was doubting herself now, 'No not Colin' she decided firmly, he wasn't capable of hurting anyone.


	4. Old friends

**WARNING – Chapter contains adult language**

**Chapter four – Old friends**

_Flash forward two years_

Cass awoke from another nightmare, the details of it started seeping away the second her eyes opened but she knew what it had been about. Kerry.

"_Sometimes people just disappear_"

Her mother had said in the months following that haunting night. What was worse was that none of the others had been found either. The thought of Seth being out there somewhere terrified her. There was also Colin to think about, he was still missing too. No one had even the slightest idea where they could be.

She sat up tiredly and ran her fingers through her cropped hair, she had sheared it off with kitchen scissors one night to try to rid herself of his smell, although she was sure she was imagining it, it seemed to cling to her hair and skin, even now. Since then she had kept it short, much more convenient for her new lifestyle.

Cass lifted herself off the creaky mattress she called a bed and stretched out. Her room was just wide enough to allow her to spread her arms out at her sides. She dressed quickly, pulling on a black lace camisole and tight fitting black jeans. She laced her boots, grabbed her backpack and jacket and left the room.

"Hey Tina" a blond girl called to her.

She waved briefly and continued through the house. She lived in a hostel for young girls who had been in abusive relationships, she'd lied about her past and identity to get a room here and she worked two jobs to pay her way. By day she was a waitress in the Truck Stop café, by night she worked behind a bar in a seedy nightclub called The Below. She stayed alert for signs of Seth but he remained hidden. In the two years since seeing him last she had become a different girl. Her lean body now held firm muscles under the surface. Her soft youthful face had a hard edge to it.

Her first stop was a call box at the end of her street, she dialled the all too familiar number for her parents house and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" a tired female voice asked.

"Mom? Its me".

Cass listened to her mother sob with happiness for a moment before asking the same old question

"Any news?".

No, there never was. Cass still hoped though that one day Kerry would contact her family but she hadn't yet. Cass continued to chat to her mother for a while, promising she was safe and would return home soon, although they both knew that was a lie. Cass hadn't been able to stay there in the same neighbourhood where it had happened, seeing all the faces of her friends and neighbours automatically fill with concern or sympathy when they spoke to her and on the odd occasion, suspicion. That's what had brought her here to begin with. She wanted to be unknown. They exchanged 'I love you's' and Cass hung up.

There wasn't much hope of finding Kerry really, she could be anywhere by now but Cass continued hoping regardless, unable to even entertain the idea that Kerry might be dead.

She walked the short distance to the club, keeping the hood of her jacket up and her head down as she went. She entered via the employees door around the back and quickly dumped her jacket and bag.

"Hey girl" A soft voice greeted her as she entered.

She turned to see Lydia collecting her jacket from the hook on the wall. Lydia was the one true friend Cass had found, and the only one who knew anything about her, although she knew very little really. Cass knew Lydia had secrets too. They were roughly the same age but Lydia had been here in the city alone for a lot longer than Cass. Cass loved her though, it was Lydia who'd gotten her the job here, they'd met at the Truck Stop and after Cass had let slip how broke she was, Lydia brought her here.

"Hey" Cass smiled "you coming or going?".

"Sorry babe, I'm just finished for the night" Lydia smiled sympathetically at Cass, they both preferred working their shifts together.

Cass waved as Lydia left, then made her way out to the bar she worked. The club was busy tonight, drunken bodies tangled seductively on the dance floor or sat around in the secluded booths, doing god knows what. She served all her customers with a brittle smile that never quite reached her eyes. Most were regulars who, after the first attempt, knew better than to try to engage her in conversation. That's why she was taken off guard when a deep male voice spoke to her.

"Hey beautiful, how you doing?"

She looked up stunned, to see a tall blond boy leaning on the edge of the bar. His face looked like it had been sculpted by an artist, bronze eyes sat high above his curved cheek bones. He was smiling at her in a way that made her feel naked. She disliked the feeling and mentally slapped herself for staring back at him.

"What can I get you?" she asked formally.

"Your number?" he replied casually.

"Sorry, I only serve drinks" Cass' temper started to rise, she didn't do flirting and this boy didn't seem to want anything else.

She turned her back to him and busied herself restocking a fridge with bottled beer.

"I'll have one of those then please".

She looked up at him with a bottle still in her hand, he gestured towards the bottle. She placed it down in front of him a little roughly and took his money.

"Hey, I didn't mean to offend you" the boy held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Whatever" she snapped, turning back to the fridge.

She heard him laugh once but when she sneaked a look over her shoulder, he'd gone.

The rest of the night passed without incident. She helped the other staff members to clean the bar area's after all the customers had gone and left through the employee's entrance. Once again she pulled her hood up to hide her face and set off at a brisk pace. She knew instantly that she was being watched, she could feel it. Cass quickened her pace. The walk home was a relatively short one but it was very dark and the streets were empty, she wished Lydia had been working, she normally drove Cass home after their shifts ended. Cass made it to the end of her road and let out a sigh of relief, that's when he pounced.

Cass' heart thundered in her chest as the dark figure appeared before her. From the dark tight fitting shirt he wore she could tell he was male, but the baseball cap pulled low obscured his face. When she heard his voice though she knew instantly who he was.

"Well well well, little Goth girl..."

It was Seth, the memory of his face and the sound of his voice cut through her. She panicked and tried to run but he blocked her at every turn, eventually he hooked an arm around her throat to stop her. Cass dug her nails in the flesh of his forearms but his grip just tightened. He bowed his head and sniffed her,

"mm mm you smell just like I remember" he said softly.

"Get your fucking hands off me you bastard" Cass hissed as viscously as she could manage.

"Is that any way to talk to your first love? I've missed you Cass. You and me, we had something special".

"You're deluded, you drugged me, then raped me and left me in a burning house".

Hot tears rolled down Cass' cheeks but she tried to keep the sobs inside.

"Now now Cass, don't get me angry, I'd hate to loose my temper with you. I wouldn't want to ruin that pretty little face...or that body" he pressed his cheek against hers "I've missed you, I've been looking for you for so long".

Cass stiffened, so it wasn't chance that they met here tonight, she'd been hunted. Her body froze and ice cold chills ran up and down her spine.

"I've been waiting to finish what we started Cass, can you remember? Remember how hot I made you and how wet?". He used his free hand now to travel down her stomach and cup her through her jeans. "You like that don't you?" he whispered in her ear.

Cass didn't get the chance to reply. Something heavy knocked into the side of them, sending the pair sprawling across the concrete floor. Cass rolled to her feet ready to defend herself but Seth was upright already and fighting another black clad figure. They whirled like dancers, ducking and dodging one another's blows. The unknown fighter must have had a knife because Seth jumped back with a startled yelp and even in the dim light Cass could see the blood on his cheek.

"Bitch" he hissed. He turned quickly and ran into the night.

The figure moved closer to her, Cass could see the person was tall and slim with a hood pulled up to hide their features, as the person got nearer she realised it was a woman. She moved slowly towards Cass, pulling the hood down to release her long black hair.

"I won't hurt you" the girl said, as she came even closer. She extended her hand out towards Cass. "I'm Rashel Jordan, I'm a daybreaker"

Cass shook the girls hand tentatively.

"What's a daybreaker?" Cass was pleased her voice didn't betray her, she was sure the fear she felt would leak out.

"Oh crap, you're not? I mean you're human?"

"Um yes?" she replied

"Why is one of the most sadistic vampires, since Maya herself, hunting you?" The girl named Rashel demanded.

"So he's a vampire then. I always wondered what he was" Cass had known there was something seriously wrong with Seth when she'd seen the look on his face just before..well you know. It explained the extended canines too. "I didn't want to believe they existed but I guess this explains a lot"

Rashel looked her up and down "You'd better come with me, I hope you can run, I haven't got time to wait for you"

Cass buried her doubt's about the girl in front of her, if Seth had tracked her down here then he could find her room at the hostel too. This Rashel had tried to hurt him so surely she was good, right? She nodded once at Rashel and they set off together at a sprint.


	5. Circle Daybreak

**Chapter five – Circle Daybreak **

Cass followed Rashel at a flat out run, she silently thanked herself for working out every day. They eventually reached what Cass took to be an abandoned warehouse. There were a few of them around here, all with a look of gloom.

"Stay here" Rashel whispered to Cass, then she edged around the side of the building and disappeared from view.

Before Cass had time to panic Rashel was back. She gestured for Cass to follow her. They went around the back of the building and through a small wooden door. As she entered the warehouse she saw a black clad figure beside the door. The figures head nodded once at her but she was too stunned to reply.

"It's just a guard" Rashel whispered.

They crossed the big open room towards a couple of heavy duty barrels stacked next to each other. Rashel grasped the sides of one and began rocking it back and forth to move it a few feet forward. Cass tried to mimic her with the other barrel but it was like trying to shove a stubborn baby elephant. The girl had muscle, Cass was sure of that. When Rashel had moved both barrels she opened the small trapdoor they had been concealing.

"Usually Quinn or Jake would move these but we got separated on the hunt tonight. I'm hoping they're already here".

Cass just nodded, most of what Rashel had said so far made no sense to her at all. They went through the trapdoor one by one and emerged into an underground facility. It had a military air to it, Cass thought, like something you would see in a movie. They walked down a brightly lit corridor, past several closed doors. Finally they reached the end of the corridor and went through the last door. The second Rashel crossed the threshold she was grabbed by a black haired boy, Cass panicked but Rashel just laughed.

"Quinn you ass, put me down" He laughed with her but returned her to her feet.

"Get a room" a male voice said.

As Rashel and Quinn took a seat together on a leather couch in the room, Cass got a glimpse of the owner of the voice.

"You?" she gasped.

It was the boy from the club, the one who had tried to flirt with her.

"Me" he mock gasped in reply.

"What are you doing here?" Cass demanded.

"Ha! What are you doing here more like, what, you couldn't resist my charm after all?".

Cass opened her mouth to reply but was rescued by a third female in the room.

"Cut it out Jake, she just got here" turning to Cass she said "Hi, I'm Poppy"

The girl smiled warmly at Cass. Cass smiled back liking her instantly. She looked around the room, taking in her surroundings for the first time. They appeared to be in some sort of games room, there were couches and chairs scattered around in a semi circle, all positioned so the large screen TV mounted on one wall, was visible. Behind the seating area stood a large pool table, which was currently being used by a group of teenagers.

Cass still felt shaky from her encounter with Seth earlier and finding herself in a room full of strangers was doing nothing to settle her nerves. She took a seat in one of the armchairs near Rashel and turned to talk to her.

"Rashel? Any chance you could explain what is going on here. First I'm attacked by a boy I hoped I'd never see again, and then you spring out of nowhere and rescue me" Cass glanced at Jake, who had taken a seat on the other side of Rashel and Quinn "And then you bring me here and stalker boy over there turns up to ruin my night completely".

"Hey, what did I do?"

"Enough Jake" Rashel warned "Listen, what do you know about the vampire who attacked you?"

Cass bit her lip, she just wasn't sure whether to trust these people. But so far none of them had tried to hurt her, the opposite in fact in Rashel's case. She opted for the truth, or part of it anyway.

"I knew Seth from school, he transferred there when I was seventeen. He was an instant hit, every girl wanted him and every boy wanted to be him" Jake snorted but Cass ignored him. "He invited me to a party, it was a dare really, spend one night in a haunted house. It wouldn't have mattered what he'd asked me to do, I would have done it just to please him. We were drinking and well one thing led to another..." Cass wiped at her eyes as tears began to run. She hated to cry in front of the obviously cool Rashel, but the memories were just too painful for her not to.

Cass noticed the group from the pool table had gathered around, taking seats on couch's or just sitting on the cold concrete floor. She felt very intimidated by so many unknown faces staring at her. Rashel seemed to sense her fear.

"He attacked you" she supplied "Its what he does, he favours young girls" Rashel had a look of admiration in her eyes when she spoke to Cass.

"You must have been so scared" Poppy whispered. She had perched on the floor, leaning herself on the leg of a brown haired boy sat on one of the couch's.

Cass nodded at both Rashel and Poppy, unable to form any more words. She swiped at her eyes angrily, not wanting to waste yet more tears on Seth.

"You're lucky to be alive, he normally bleeds his victims dry" Quinn supplied.

"If tonight is anything to go by, he plans to rectify that" Rashel's words made Cass shiver again.

"The only question is, how did he find me?" Cass asked.

"I can answer that" It was Jake who spoke this time "He was watching you at the club. That's why I was there tonight. We knew he had his eye on someone. Unfortunately one of his boys attacked a girl outside and we were distracted. It's lucky Rashel managed to track him"

Cass was stunned, she'd though Jake was an ass but now she didn't know what to think. One thing was true though, without Rashel, who knows what would have happened.

"Thank you" she whispered at Rashel

The group introduced themselves one by one, the brown haired boy with Poppy was James, next to him sat a blond haired boy named Ash, next along sat a blond haired girl named Thea, she was holding hands with a boy named Eric, that brought her back around to Rashel, Quinn and Jake.

"So are there more Vampires then?" Cass asked after everyone had finished.

Everyone eyed Cass warily, except the blond boy, Ash.

"Most of us here are vampires" he laughed.

Cass panicked, was this a trap? She made to stand up, not really sure what to do.

"Sit down, we won't hurt you" Quinn snapped.

She still felt very unsure but perched herself back on the edge of her chair, waiting for someone to tell her they were joking.

"Cass, you're safe here, we're all day-breakers" Poppy supplied.

"Yeah, whether we want to be or not, right Quinn?" joked Ash.

Jake cleared his throat and smiled at her "Welcome to Circle Daybreak".


	6. The End of the World

**Chapter Six – The End of the World **

Cass sat cross legged on the bunk in her new room, Poppy had brought her here and told her she was safe and to rest. She couldn't sleep though, her mind was still buzzing with information. The group had sat around talking for hours, asking Cass questions or else filling her in on Circle Daybreak. She was in shock to learn that not only vampires existed, but also werewolves, witches and basically all the monsters that had terrified her as a kid.

There were 'day-breakers', as they called themselves, all over the world. She understood the theory of it, a world where humans and non-humans could co exist happily. The facility here was one of many safe houses for day-breakers. It was positioned so that anyone in the city in need of sanctuary wouldn't have to travel too far.

The information she was really struggling to swallow was all the 'end of the world' stuff they'd told her about. She sure as hell didn't like the sound of some of the Night World people, if they were like Seth then yay for circle daybreak. But really the whole thing just sounded so action movie ish. Four powers alone have the ability to stop the apocalypse, if one falls then darkness prevails.

"Yeah right" thought Cass.

But she was more confident now that she was with the good guys, so she'd go with the flow, for a while at least.

"Knock knock" came a soft voice from the doorway.

Cass jumped up disorientated to find Poppy holding a tray and smiling at her.

"Thought you might be hungry".

She plopped the tray down on the small bedside table and joined Cass sitting on the bed.

"Did you sleep in those clothes? You look around my size, I'll lend you some stuff"

Cass looked down at her rumpled appearance, she must have dozed off eventually without undressing.

"Rashel spoke to Thierry last night, he wants to meet you. He'll probably be here pretty soon"

Cass searched her memory for the name, "He's the one in charge?" Poppy nodded.

"He founded Circle Daybreak ages ago, he and Lady Hannah run things".

Poppy jumped up off the bed and gestured towards the tray "Eat, I'll go get you some clothes"

She left the room at high speed leaving Cass to tackle what looked like scrambled eggs and coffee.

Thirty minutes later she had eaten, showered and changed. Poppy had brought her a plain tee shirt, jeans and clean underwear, she'd apologised for the lack of choice but explained she'd packed light to come here. She guided Cass back down to the games room from the previous night and once again they all took seats on the couches or floor. Cass noticed that Rashel and Quinn were missing but a new man had joined them. He seemed older than most here, maybe only a year or so older than herself physically, but his big brown eyes betrayed him, they showed a much older man inside. He stood and offered her his hand,

"I'm Thierry Descouedres, Rashel filled me in on your story, I'm here to ask you for your help".

Cass didn't know what to say. What could this man, this vampire, possibly want from her? He sensed her confusion and explained.

"We need you to continue working at The Below. We believe we may have scared Seth off for now but hope he will return for you. We have been tracking him for over a year but have never managed to capture him".

Her body began its shaking again, she couldn't face Seth yet, she wasn't ready. Her preparations for this day seemed childlike to her now. Poppy crossed the room and perched on the arm of her chair. She grasped Cass' hand in both of her own.

"You won't be alone" she whispered.

"No, of course" Thierry added "I have already arranged a body guard for you, one of my own in fact".

Cass didn't want to do this, but she couldn't bring herself to deny these people help. She agreed reluctantly that she would return to work the following evening. Thierry left soon after, explaining he had business elsewhere to attend to. Cass felt better when he'd gone, he was certainly intimidating. When she shared her concerns with Poppy she laughed.

"Yes he is, when I first met him I was terrified. James changed me illegally and I thought for sure that Thierry would kill me, but he's one of the good guys".

"Why did he change you?" Cass asked, genuinely curious as to why someone would choose to have to drink blood forever.

"I was dying" she explained "Pancreatic cancer. James offered me an alternative to death, how could I say no? Besides" she added "Now I get to spend eternity with my soul mate"

Cass' brow furrowed "Soul mate?"

The girls were interrupted by the appearance of Thea "Cass? Thierry asked me to do some training with you, are you ready?"

Cass looked confused but Poppy nodded encouragingly, so she followed Thea out of the room.

'Training' turned out to be learning how to block her mind. Thea explained that some vampires were telepathic. They believed Seth was, so Cass had to be able to shield her thoughts from him, otherwise he would know their plans as soon as he was close enough to her. She found shielding her mind easy in theory but Thea brought Jake in for her to practise with and it proved much more difficult with the real thing. He'd been able to get through her defences after just a few minutes which irritated her beyond belief. They'd kept at it for a few hours, until Thea was sure Cass would be able to shield herself against Seth. Finally Thea deemed Cass ready. She, Cass and Jake returned to the games room, all feeling exhausted. Rashel and Quinn had returned and both sat talking on one of the couch's.

"Any news?" Jake asked.

"He was a no show" Quinn replied, a note of disappointment in his voice.

Cass guessed they'd been waiting for Seth to show at the club again. She was relieved he'd stayed away, maybe he wouldn't show again tomorrow?.

Thea filled everyone in on Cass' progress shielding her mind. Rashel looked impressed, she stood up in one swift movement, smiling at Cass.

"Think you're up for bit more training?"

"What kind of training" asked Cass wonderingly.

"The best kind, combat training" She flashed a wicked smile at Cass.

"Yeah, now your talking!" Jake said excitedly.

The facility that currently housed them turned out to have a full size training room. One wall held various objects that Cass assumed must be weapons. Most of them seemed to be made of some sort of wood, although a few were metal.

"It's a shame Keller's not here, she could show you a few useful moves" Rashel mused.

She pulled down a few of the wooden weapons explaining that they would be most effective against vampire attacks. She handed Cass a small curved dagger, then spent an hour teaching her how best to strike using it. Most of the group took turns showing her various moves, mostly defensive. Poppy even joined in for a while saying she could use the practise. By the time they were finished, Cass was beyond exhausted. Poppy offered to show Cass back to her room but Jake jumped up first,

"I'll take her".

Cass waited for Poppy to argue but she remained silent, a slight smile on her face. She had no choice, she would end up walking around forever if someone didn't show her the way.

"OK" she said reluctantly.

He didn't say a word as they walked together. He seemed preoccupied with something. It suited Cass fine, she really wasn't sure she liked him and she was far too tired to feign interest in anything he had to say.

When they finally reached her room she turned to thank Jake but he spoke before she could open her mouth,

"Cass I'm sorry for what Seth did to you, and well, I just wanted you to know that not all Vampires are like that"

She wasn't expecting that but she recovered herself quickly "I know Jake, I mean I didn't, but now, after meeting all of you, I know you're not all monsters"

"You mean after meeting Poppy" he smirked at her.

She couldn't think of a reply so just smiled at him. He reached out his hand, hesitated then touched her shoulder lightly.

"You did well tonight kid" he said warmly.

He slid his hand down her arm slowly towards her hand. She made to stop him, feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the situation, but as his fingers brushed her bare skin, something strange happened to her. Her skin felt like it had been electrocuted, but in a good way. Tingles ran out from Jakes touch, up and down her arm, spreading quickly all over her body. A haze descended all around her. She panicked wondering what Jake was doing to her but one look at his face told her that he could feel it too. He looked stunned for a moment then he pulled his fingers away suddenly, staring at them as if he'd never seen them before.

"Jake?" Cass asked softly "what was that?"

She waited for a few moments but Jake didn't respond.

"Jake?" she repeated.

"I have to go" he croaked in a barely audible whisper.

He stalked down the corridor and disappeared from view leaving Cass thoroughly confused.


	7. Bait

**Chapter Seven – Bait**

**WARNING – Chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature and adult language**

Cass awoke feeling thoroughly unrested. She knew the reason for her lack of sleep. She was worried about returning to the club tonight. No, she was lying to herself. The prospect of facing Seth again was a scary one, granted. But what had kept her awake wasn't fear, it was Jake. Every time she'd closed her eyes, his face had floated teasingly in front of her. She was saved the trouble of trying to figure out what that meant by the arrival of a pretty, brown haired girl.

"Cass? I'm Lupe Acevedo, Thierry sent me".

Cass looked unsure, the girl didn't look anything like a body guard. Lupe seemed to understand her thoughts though and said,

"Don't worry, no one will get past me, you'll be safe".

Not really reassured but not wanting to be rude, she nodded politely.

"So, what's the plan" she asked, trying to mask her nerves.

"Cass, Thierry has given me specific instructions" Cass motioned for her to continue.

"We think Seth may try to snatch you, he seems to enjoy taking captives and has shown a strong desire for you personally".

"OK, what do you want me to do" Cass asked warily

"If he makes a move, go with him. We know he has captives somewhere but have never been able to find where he keeps them".

"You want me to be bait?"

"Exactly" Lupe smiled.

Cass had agreed to act as bait reluctantly. She could think of nothing more terrifying than being one of Seth's captives. She couldn't say no though. The thought of him holding girls against their will was too much for her to bare.

The two girls spent a while going over the plan, Lupe would drive Cass back to the club, dropping her off a short distance away so Cass could appear to arrive on foot. Cass just had to wait for Seth to make his move, then pretend to put up a fight and go with him. Lupe assured her over and over that she would be safe.

"I won't be far behind you, wherever you go. If we get a hint that he may harm you, we will come in and pull you out" she said determinedly.

The girls set off alone. Leaving the facility silently. Lupe dropped her off as planned, then took off into the dark. Cass took a deep breath and entered the club.

She made it as far as the door before her boss pounced, she managed to pull together a story about family problems to explain her absence the previous night. He didn't seem to believe her but he let it go eventually.

She was on edge all night, scanning the crowds, looking for signs of Seth, but he didn't show. She was relieved and disappointed all at the same time. She finally returned her gaze to the bar, but as she did, something caught her eye. It was just a flash of someone in the crowd, just for one instant she thought she recognised him,

"Colin?"

She vaulted the bar and ran into the throng of people on the dance floor. She was being ridiculous, she knew it couldn't have been him, but she searched regardless, not wanting to extinguish the small spark of hope she felt.

She was jostled from side to side as people danced together. No one looked her way as she shoved through the crowd. She reached the other side of the dance floor and sighed, he was nowhere to be seen. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, then she saw him again. He was by the door leading back towards the employee's area. Cass followed without thinking. She saw him leave through the employee's entrance and took off after him. She ran flat out to keep up but he was just too fast. She didn't realise where they were heading until the hostel came into view. She hesitated for a second as she took in her surroundings and lost sight of Colin for a moment. She continued up the street slowly, looking all around for a clue as to which way he went, he stepped out suddenly from behind a parked van. He didn't speak, he just grabbed her upper arm and threw her into the back of the van, he climbed in behind her and shut the door. The van pulled off and rumbled down the street. Colin sat against the doors watching her. He looked the same as Cass had remembered him, with a few small exceptions, like no glasses. perfect skin, and a dark, almost sinister edge to his eyes. He hadn't aged though, he still looked fifteen.

"You're one of them?" Cass hugged her knees to her for comfort. "Colin, what happened to you?".

He didn't answer, just continued to stare at her.

They drove for what felt like days but was probably much less. No matter what Cass said, she never managed to get a response from Colin. The van stopped suddenly and he jumped out, he reached back in the van and grabbed Cass' arm again.

"Ow, OK OK I'm coming" she said, hoping he would ease his grip. He didn't.

She looked around, they must have drove to the outskirts of the city because Cass was surrounded on three sides by trees, in front of her stood a small stone cottage. If she hadn't been so scared, she would have thought it beautiful. She was taken straight through the house to the basement, where she was handcuffed to the wall by three inch thick metal chains. The chains were just too short for her to stand, so she found herself kneeling on the cold stone floor.

She'd been expecting it, but her heart still froze when Seth walked in. He stood in front of her smiling.

"Just as it should be, you kneeling before me" he snickered.

She growled at him viciously, she wanted to rip his face off with her bare hands. He knelt on one knee near her and started running his hands all over her body, searching. She remembered the dagger Rashel had given her, still in her jacket at the club. She'd just have to improvise. She spat in his face. He wiped his sleeve across his eyes, when he pulled his arm away his eyes had changed. They were the silver eyes from her nightmares. He slapped her across her cheek using the back of his hand. Her skin stung, she was sure he'd cut her.

"That wasn't nice Cass" he hissed "you shouldn't make me angry".

The anger in his face seemed to vanish as quickly as it had flared, he cupped her face in his hands, gently probing her cheek.

"you're bleeding" he whispered.

Then to Cass' horror, he licked her face, once, twice, faster and harder. He gripped her hair in his hand and yanked her head sideways, she braced herself as he bit her throat. She squeezed her eyes tight shut against the pain and prayed for someone to rescue her. From the sound he was making, he appeared to be getting off on drinking from her. He pulled away from her and unfastened his jeans to release his erection, he toyed with it for a moment before standing, then he pushed it towards Cass' mouth.

"How about we pick up where we left off?"

"You put that in my mouth you fucking shit and I swear I'll bite the fucker off" She hissed between clenched teeth.

He laughed at her and fastened his jeans,

"A few days down here honey and you'll be begging for me".

He left her in the dark, feeling weak from the amount of blood he'd taken. She curled up in a ball near the wall and allowed the tears to flow. She found herself wishing for Jake. Although she wasn't sure why, the thought of him comforted her.

Some time later she was awoken by footsteps coming down the basement stairs. She sat up huddled against the wall, bracing herself for whatever Seth might do to her next. A candle spluttered into life near her face, creating a sphere of light in the windowless room. She strained to see who was holding it,

"Colin?".

"Shhh" he pleaded "we don't have much time" he reached down and unlocked her chains. She remained seated and stared at him hard,

"Why are you helping me? you're one of them" she demanded.

"He made me lure you out of that club, he thought if you saw me you would follow. But I'm tired of Seth's games. I can't stand by and let him hurt you again"

He motioned for her to follow him but she shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, How do I even know I can trust you?" She turned her head away from him sullenly.

"I'm sorry" he said after along pause.

He waited to see if Cass would reply, but when she didn't, he continued.

"Look Cass, I've seen first hand what Seth can do, believe me, you do not want to hang around and find out what he has planned for you"

Cass leaned back against the wall and raised her eyes to him,

"Colin, I need to know, what happened to Kerry?"

Colin sighed heavily and sat down beside her

"I don't know" Cass raised a sceptical eyebrow at him, "really Cass, I don't know. I remember Kevin pinning her down and Jason touching her, I tried to pull them away but they were too strong. Then there was a blast, like an orange ball of light. Next thing I knew, we were waking up and she was gone. They grabbed me and dragged me out, I begged them to let me go so I could look for you but they hit me and I must have blacked out"

Cass didn't know what to say, Kerry had managed to escape so there was a good chance she was still alive. But where could she be?

"Why did they change you?" she asked eventually.

"They didn't want to, Kevin and Jason I mean. But Seth wouldn't let them kill me. I think he thought once he'd changed me that I'd be loyal to him and help him to get you"

"But isn't that what happened?" she snapped at him.

He smiled at her and gently stroked her hair "I'm only here to protect you, its the only way I can think of to make up for not protecting you last time"

She believed him, she wasn't sure why but she felt he was telling her the truth.

"Listen Colin, have you any idea where Kerry might be?"

He shook his head and her heart sank, she felt hope draining out of her but she tried to stay focused. Kerry wasn't the only reason she was here after all.

"Do you know if Seth has any prisoners here?"

Colin shook his head, "He keeps his 'pets' in his Vegas house" he said with an air of distaste.

Cass' face broke into a huge smile, 'jackpot' she thought.

"Can you get us there?" she asked brightly.


	8. A Way Out

They sat talking for what felt like hours going over and over the best ways to get to the other house without being detected. Eventually they settled on a plan, Colin thought it best if Seth moved them there rather than escaping and breaking in. The problem was making Seth think it was better if they moved. They had been unable to come up with any solid suggestions and had decided to work on it some more throughout the next day.

Colin had left when the sun came up and Cass had dozed on and off for a few hours. She now sat crossed legged against the wall waiting for Colin to come back. The door at the top of the stairs creaked and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well well well, you have been a naughty girl haven't you"

Seth strode into the room dragging someone behind him and stopped in front of her, she gasped as she made out Colin's limp form in Seth's grasp.

"Did you think that you could outsmart me?" he spat "plotting behind my back with your little friend" he threw Colin to the floor and Cass saw his face covered in blood, he seemed to be unconscious. She shook with fear as she looked up into Seth's face. He drew out a knife and bent next to Colin, his eyes were crazed as his gaze roamed over Colin's face. Cass realised then more than ever before just how crazy Seth was and the thought chilled her to the bone.

"Please Seth" she whispered "please don't hurt him" she began to cry but Seth didn't look at her. "Please" she repeated, louder this time.

He placed the tip of the blade against Colin's cheek and smiled as a drop of blood bloomed there.

"I'll do anything, just don't hurt him"

She watched horrified as the blade was dragged across the already damaged face. She had to act now if she had any hope of saving Colin. She grasped her tee shirt as tightly as her handcuffs would allow and pulled it until it tore down the front, revealing her bra.

"Take me" she whispered, leaning her head to the side to show her long bare neck.

"What?" Seth finally looked up at her "What did you say to me?"

"Take me Seth, now, you know you want to. Drink from me then take me" she shook violently as she spoke but she was determined to do everything she could to save Colin. Seth got to his feet slowly then knelt in front of her. He turned his head this way then that way, staring at her with a confused expression.

"Do it now" she commanded.

He smiled a genuine smile at her, nodded once then bit. Cass bit down hard on her lip to stop from screaming and soon tasted her own hot blood filling her mouth. Seth's hands were inside her bra now as he drank from her throat. He stopped after just a few minutes to look at her again

"Why?" Cass didn't know what he wanted to know, she just wished he'd get on with it but he persisted,

"Why have you fought me for so long? I always knew you loved me as much as I love you, but why did you deny it?"

She turned her head to look him full in the face, she expected a cruel, mocking look to greet her but she almost didn't recognise the boy before her. Seth's face was full of warmth and caring, he reached out to her and gently stroked her cheek. She was stunned, after everything he had done to her how could he think she could feel anything but hate and disgust for him. On the other hand, if she played along he might hold off on hurting her, or more importantly, Colin, at least for the time being anyway.

She tried to look coy "I was playing hard to get" she lied "I thought it would make you want me more"

He laughed and planted a delicate kiss on the end of her nose "You silly girl, I couldn't want you more than I already do. I love you"

He gazed at her for a moment then leaned in to hug her. She was stunned, she couldn't comprehend what he was saying, it was like he had a split personality. Here was proof, if she had ever needed it, that he was completely bonkers.

He leant back again and gestured towards her neck "may I?".

She nodded mutely and shut her eyes as he resumed his drinking and fondling. He ran his hand up and down her stomach in slow soothing motions until he'd finished drinking.

He beamed at her again, "Oh Cass you make me so happy" he gushed. He reached up and unlocked her handcuffs then he kissed her hungrily, pushing her up against the wall. She kept her eyes closed so missed the movement from Colin until it was too late. Seth arched back from her, a look of shock in his eyes, he slowly turned to see Colin stood behind him breathing hard. As Seth turned around Cass saw Seth's discarded knife protruding from his back and realised what had happened.

"You will never hurt her again" Colin hissed, then he swung his arm around and punched Seth in the face, sending him sprawling on the floor.

Colin grabbed Cass' hand and began pulling her towards the exit, she couldn't resist one last look back. Seth lay in a pool of his own blood, shock still in his eyes. He slowly reached out a hand towards Cass,

"Cass?" his voice was no more than a whisper and she realised he was dying. A tear escaped her eye as she glanced down at him,

"I'm sorry" she mouthed, shaking her head as she left the room.

They raced hand in hand out of the house into the darkness of the surrounding trees.

"Colin wait" Cass pulled at his hand.

"Cass we can't wait, when the others find Seth we're dead. If he receives enough blood from them he may survive, he is very old and strong"

"But..." she couldn't finish the sentence, what did she want anyway? She hated Seth for what he had done to her. The Seth lay in the basement right now, dying, wasn't that boy though. She realised that she felt sorry for him, lay in the dark alone.

Colin was watching her "Cass you have to remember what he was capable of, you saw a moment of kindness, I've seen years of hurt, abuse and torture. If you go back now what do you expect to happen?"

She pulled her hand free and began to walk backwards away from Colin "I'm sorry Colin, I just can't let him die alone, I don't expect you to understand. You go, get out of here while you can"

She turned and ran back to the house. When she got back to the basement, Seth lay motionless, his eyes turned to look at her though. She knelt next to him and gently slipped her hand into his.

"I thought you'd left me"

She began to cry again but managed a watery smile, "never" she reassured him.

No more words were exchanged or even needed. Minutes passed slowly as his life drained away. After a while she knew he'd gone. The room suddenly felt empty. She wiped her eyes and got up to leave, her path was blocked by a rather large and fierce looking guard, he took one look at the body then drew a large sword in a very threatening manner.

"Crap" she thought.


End file.
